Ever since the Predynastic period, naturally occurring elements have been used as a way of accentuating certain bodily facets, such as the eyes and lips. Around 4000 BC, Ancient Egyptians applied galena mesdemet (a combination of copper and lead ore) and malachite (a combination of copper minerals) to their faces to enhance their natural features, act as a primitive insect repellent and prevent disease.
To this day natural elements have been used to decorate, enhance and emphasise the body and face to the point that colour cosmetics are a modern day staple. Nonetheless, natural elements—which throughout history have been used as colour cosmetics—have been overtaken by modern technology and scientific discovery. Research and development in the colour cosmetic industry has led to a dramatic improvement in the lightfastness, colour range and intensity of decorative cosmetic products, resulting in a global industry that is worth over $55 billion.
However, whilst this rapid expansion in the colour cosmetics market has undoubtedly proven popular with consumers, there is a general concern about the ingredients and trace elements present in cosmetic products. The cosmetic industry has been under particular scrutiny with regards to the dyes and colourants that are used in cosmetic products, particularly as it has been shown that dyes derived from coal tar and colourants containing azo-compounds are potentially toxic and mutagenic.
Consumers are increasingly more interested in the potential health benefits of the cosmetic products they use, resulting in the growing demand for natural and organic cosmetic compositions. Whilst natural cosmetic products may be free from harmful chemicals, preservatives and other additives, they often possess undesirable characteristics such as reduced lightfastness, colour stability, shelf life and ease of which they can be applied to the skin.
Colour cosmetic compositions are often formulated as oil or cream dispersions, which absorb into the skin and provide an even tone and finish. Unfortunately, these cosmetic compositions contain unfavourable and undesirable ingredients, such as pentylene glycol, dimethicone, silica and preservatives which can potentially cause irritation and damage to a user's skin, especially to sensitive areas around the user's eyes and face. Therefore, it is desirable to formulate cosmetic compositions without preservatives and other potentially harmful ingredients.
The present invention seeks to provide a solid cosmetic composition that addresses the problems of the prior art and does not contain preservatives and significantly harmful ingredients at a significant concentration, if at all.